Release Notes for [release-2026-07-02_07-40-base](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/tree/release-2026-07-02_07-40-base) (`8a655ede1f59ea0cb3079a9aa0601b7905b7ca37`)
This release is based on changes since [release-2026-06-25_04-40-base](https://dashboard.internetcomputer.org/release/feb8e5f205ad5577b2e11e56a6f94faa2d1c6116) (`feb8e5f205ad5577b2e11e56a6f94faa2d1c6116`).

Please note that some commits may be excluded from this release if they're not relevant, or not modifying the GuestOS image.
Additionally, descriptions of some changes might have been slightly modified to fit the release notes format.

To see a full list of commits added since last release, compare the revisions on [GitHub](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/compare/release-2026-06-25_04-40-base...release-2026-07-02_07-40-base).
## Features:
* [`6003f2f4d`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/6003f2f4d) Core Protocol: subnet deletion in DSM ([#10467](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10467))
* [`b012ed248`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/b012ed248) Core Protocol: Have `StateManager` reuse the previous `HashTree` as a baseline ([#10612](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10612))
* [`c78d1d9cf`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/c78d1d9cf) Core Protocol: Reuse stream message subtrees in `HashTree` ([#10601](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10601))
* [`1fc430c52`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/1fc430c52) Core Protocol: Reuse `IngressStatus` subtrees in `HashTree` ([#10599](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10599))
* [`39535cbe2`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/39535cbe2) Core Protocol: Reuse unchanged canister digests across `HashTrees` ([#10532](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10532))
* [`1500b86f0`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/1500b86f0) Core Protocol: support running system-tests locally instead of via Farm ([#10253](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10253))
* [`530cbefea`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/530cbefea) Node: Verify that SEV guest debugging and migration are disallowed ([#10583](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10583))
* [`de7aa2328`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/de7aa2328) Node: Add fuse2fs tool built from e2fsprogs ([#10551](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10551))
## Bugfixes:
* [`9540a2ead`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/9540a2ead) Core Protocol: subnet deletion in PocketIC with registry canister ([#10607](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10607))
* [`8835779ce`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/8835779ce) Core Protocol: Use registry version of `CanisterHttpRequestContext` to determine committee membership ([#10559](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10559))
* [`8739df293`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/8739df293) Node: Try to fix var encryption ordering ([#10572](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10572))
## Performance improvements:
* [`caa817078`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/caa817078) Core Protocol: avoid cloning full network topology in more scenarios ([#10618](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10618))
* [`243768086`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/243768086) Core Protocol: avoid deep cloning full network topology on each message execution ([#10594](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10594))
* [`c41d07d38`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/c41d07d38) Core Protocol: Two-state `left_outer_join()` ([#10587](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10587))
## Chores:
* [`72f7edfd5`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/72f7edfd5) Core Protocol: drop critical error for unexpected infinite loops ([#10623](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10623))
* [`279959172`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/279959172) Core Protocol: Bump opentelemetry crates to 0.32 ([#10598](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10598))
* [`34009aaad`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/34009aaad) Core Protocol: turn some embedder panics into errors ([#10593](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10593))
* [`f63bec158`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/f63bec158) Core Protocol: Remove `pre_signatures_to_create_in_advance` registry migration and update invariants ([#10133](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10133))
* [`a5a2594cb`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/a5a2594cb) Core Protocol(Core): Add metric for Wasm locals ([#10565](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10565))
* [`f7b5a8ebc`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/f7b5a8ebc) Core Protocol(Core): Add a bucket to instruction metrics ([#10567](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10567))
* [`dc7d07434`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/dc7d07434) Core Protocol(Core): Add metric for future DMT pricing ([#10564](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10564))
* [`bdb67dcd8`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/bdb67dcd8) Node: Log var_crypt output to console ([#10617](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10617))
* [`2bb2a430f`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/2bb2a430f) Node: remove dosfstools and mtools from container ([#10602](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10602))
* [`2242b6818`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/2242b6818) Node: Create ic-node tmpfiles early via dedicated service before local-fs.target ([#10606](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10606))
* [`919a734d2`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/919a734d2) Node: use mkfs.fat consistently ([#10580](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10580))
* [`af0ef9d8d`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/af0ef9d8d) Node: avoid container system tools in partition tools test ([#10577](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10577))
* [`3876f0f55`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/3876f0f55) Node: simplify mtools setup ([#10576](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10576))
* [`a3862864a`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/a3862864a) Node: Update Base Image Refs [2026-06-25-0902] ([#10563](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10563))
* [`795473da9`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/795473da9) Node: remove _find_tool ([#10568](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10568))
## Refactoring:
* [`444395531`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/444395531) Core Protocol: Consolidate hash_lazy_tree and hash_lazy_tree_with_baseline ([#10588](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10588))
* [`3b1a47835`](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/commit/3b1a47835) Core Protocol(orchestrator): prepare running `ic-gateway` as a side-car to the replica in cloud engines ([#10499](https://github.com/dfinity/ic/pull/10499))
## Tests:
## Documentation:
Full list of changes (including the ones that are not relevant to GuestOS) can be found on [GitHub](https://github.com/dfinity/dre/blob/b6427a92657f11f8e64a577bb4e0f5bd1d0cf757/replica-releases/8a655ede1f59ea0cb3079a9aa0601b7905b7ca37.md).

# IC-OS Verification

To build and verify the IC-OS GuestOS disk image, after installing curl if necessary (`sudo apt install curl`), run:

```
# From https://github.com/dfinity/ic#verifying-releases
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/dfinity/ic/8a655ede1f59ea0cb3079a9aa0601b7905b7ca37/ci/scripts/repro-check | python3 - -c 8a655ede1f59ea0cb3079a9aa0601b7905b7ca37 --guestos
```

The two SHA256 sums printed above from a) the downloaded CDN image and b) the locally built image, must be identical, and must match the SHA256 from the payload of the NNS proposal.

While not required for this NNS proposal, as we are only electing a new GuestOS version here, you have the option to verify the build reproducibility of the HostOS by passing `--hostos` to the script above instead of `--guestos`, or the SetupOS by passing `--setupos`.
